Spain in Easter Holidays

[guineapig]

I have tried posting this on both ports of call and the cruise line we will be travelling with to see if I can get any answers.
We will be travelling down to the Canary Islands in the Easter holidays-as below
Thurs 05-Apr
Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (http://bookings.royalcaribbean.co.uk/findacruise/ports/group/home.do?portCode=PLC)

Fri 06-Apr
Tenerife, Canary Islands (http://bookings.royalcaribbean.co.uk/findacruise/ports/group/home.do?portCode=TCI)-Good Friday

Sat 07-Apr
Funchal (Madeira), Portugal (http://bookings.royalcaribbean.co.uk/findacruise/ports/group/home.do?portCode=FNC)

Sun 08-Apr
Cruising -Easter Sunday

Mon 09-Apr
La Coruña, Spain (http://bookings.royalcaribbean.co.uk/findacruise/ports/group/home.do?portCode=LCG)-Easter Monday

Tues 10-Apr
Cruising


Does anyone know how the Easter holidays effect visiting religious sites or any other sites for that matter?
Will churches/cathedrals be open as normal?
Will ships tours be running-locals on holiday?
If you want to travel independantly could bus, taxis or trains be affected?
Look forward to hearing from anyone whos travelled in Easter-are there any other things to be aware of?

[Hlitner]

We actually look at holidays (and Sundays) before we book some cruises so this is a great question. The Spanish (like many Western European countries) take their holidays (and long holiday weekends) very serious. Good Friday is a National Holiday throughout Spain (including the Canary Islands) so you will find many shops and businesses closed in Tenerife. Churches will have their Good Friday services which might affect visiting hours (unless you want to attend mass). Easter Monday is also a holiday in most of Spain (mroe of a regional holiday then a National Holiday) so there will still be quite a few closures on that day. As to churches and Cathedrals on Easter Monday, working churches do not normally lock their doors on any day. Some sites might be closed and you would want to try and check each sites own web site (if they have one).

Hank

[CruisinGerman]

Gran Canaria has a lovely colonial section of Las Palmas city.

However, most people go to the Canaries for the warm weather in winter and spring months in the southern areas of the islands

The only place really left in Spain that goes all out ceremoniously for Holy Week (Semana Santa) is Seville. Their processions during Holy Week are amazing. To a lesser extent, perhaps Santiago de Compostela also partakes in Semana Santa.

For the rest of Spain and most of Europe, Holy Week has lost the entire religious connotation and has become the first long holiday weekend or holiday week after the cold winter.

Holy Week in the Canaries is generally the last high season period with lots of visitors, right before starting the low season, which runs from after Holy Week through October or November.

Kind regards,

Gunther and Uta